The Saints are in an awkward spot for 2022. Too good to be tanking but not good enough to really make noise in the playoffs, the Saints also have to deal with a head coaching change for the first time since 2006. We know Dennis Allen’s style, as he filled in for former head coach Sean Payton in 2011 when he was suspended for the entire season in the wake of the Bountygate scandal. Pete Carmichael is also taking over playcalling duties for the first time as offensive coordinator. Thus, with the change of guard underway, the Saints are in a transitionary period.

The Saints need players to show up and show out to give the team something and someone to count on in 2023 and beyond. Here’s 3 players who can do just that and break out for the Saints in the 2022 NFL season.

Saints Breakout Players for 2022 NFL Season

1. Chris Olave

The Saints traded up with Philadelphia to grab Olave, the kind of receiver that's the perfect complement to the other receivers on their roster. One of the best route runners in the entire draft, Olave uses his technical ability to create space at all levels of the defense. Once he's got that little bit of speed, he launches into his 4.39 40 yard dash speed, and is able to fly away from any would be tacklers.

Olave also has some of the best hands in the class, as he only dropped eight passes over his four years with Ohio State. This should provide a security blanket to whoever is under center for the Saints, be it Jameis Winston, Andy Dalton, or Ian Book. That's the kind of thing coaches salivate for in rookie receivers, and Olave has it in spades.

2. Marcus Davenport

Marcus Davenport has had four pretty good seasons in the NFL since being drafted in 2018, and his most successful season statistically came this past year, where Davenport logged a career high 9 sacks. However, 2022 seems to be the year Davenport can truly place his mark on this league, seeing as it's a contract year, and he's got more help behind him, with the additions of Dan Sorensen and Tyrann Mathieu giving the Saints a coverage boost. This means Davenport should have more time to get to the passer, which should result in more pressures, more knockdowns, and yes, more sacks for the former UTSA Roadrunner.

Davenport is the one player on this list that needs to breakout if he's to remain in New Orleans, given his contract situation. Otherwise, he'll be playing his football either elsewhere or still in New Orleans with a much reduced role.

3. Trevor Penning

With the departure of the best tackle in the free agency class, Terron Armstead, the Saints were immediately left with a serious issue. They seemingly rectified it almost immediately, selecting Northern Iowa's Trevor Penning in the first round of the draft. Penning already was one of the best run blockers in college football despite playing at the FCS level, earning the highest run blocking grade any college football player has ever received from Pro Football Focus.

If the Saints can help him work on his pass protection and get him adjusted to the speed of the game, Penning could become a real force of a starting left tackle in the Big Easy. Penning is a good pass blocker, don't get me wrong, as he only allowed one sack in each of the last two seasons, but with how insane his run blocking ability is, if he's able to pair it with equally good pass protection, Penning could legitimately become one of the best tackles in all of football.